Rock Band Guitar Unveiled

Quite a bit harder core than the Guitar Hero axes we know and love.

By Gerry Block

Updated: 25 Oct 2011 4:55 am

Posted: 21 Jun 2007 7:39 pm

Before the Wii, the original Guitar Hero was arguably the most casual-player-friendly game ever released. There are very few who've never dreamed of rocking a stadium crowd as the lead guitarist, and Guitar Hero offers the closest approximation of the experience most of us will get. The appeal extends all the way to real rockers, and, personally, the night I had the crew of Ferona Vei over at my pad on the Sunset Strip to play the game when it was brand new is certainly one of the best videogame memories I've got.

Rock Band, the much more complex spin-off series of the GH franchise, is poised to demand a great deal more technical expertise from players. Drums, guitars, and even actual singing will allow for semi-virtual jam sessions both in person and in online multiplayer. As is befitting of the far more ambitious title, the peripherals used to play it are significantly more detailed and complex.

While details on the drum set remain secret, the first pics of the Rock Band guitar have been released. Bearing both the outline, and labeled name, of the iconic Fender Stratocaster, the guitar would appear to be aiming for a more realistic look than the Guitar Hero axes available today.

Rather than the brightly colored fret keys that add a toy like look to the GH guitars, the Rock Band axe has a solid colored neck and fret buttons with inconspicuous coloring only on their sides. There are also 10 frets now, double the previous number thanks to an extra set added to the base of the neck, reportedly to be employed in special solo sections of songs.

Strummer, whammy bar, and Start / Select buttons appear relatively similar to what we've seen before, however, a notable addition in the design is the pickup switch. On real guitars the switch is used to select different pickups (the magnetic devices that convert string movement to electrical signals), or combinations thereof, which change the tonal characteristics of the instrument. The addition of the pickup switch to the Rock Band controller is rather exciting, as it should allow for a great deal more user influence over the music produced in the game, departing from the fixed notes and sounds of the GH series.

Stay tuned for more Rock Band coverage and details on the other peripherals as they are made available.